


Electricity

by cupofkoushi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Haikyuu!! Fantasy Exchange 2018, Kitsune, Kitsune Oikawa, M/M, Magic User Suga, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 16:38:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16453535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cupofkoushi/pseuds/cupofkoushi
Summary: Over the years, Sugawara has been involved with strange occurrences involving bright lights and fire. A stranger comes into town although no one, not even his group of friends, knows where he's from or who he is, but he has a knack for all-knowing smiles and being at the right place at the right time.





	Electricity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mozaikmage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mozaikmage/gifts).



> Hi, Masha! Surprise! It's me!  
> I hope that this came out okay for you. It was 100% my first time writing true fantasy, so I'm sorry if you don't like some of the liberties I took with this. I'm actually super duper nervous to post this ;~; But I really do hope you like it anyway! I put a lot of love into it and it's the longest thing I've currently ever written!  
> If it wasn't what you were looking for, let me know and I promise to redo it! I did a lot of research but I felt like it didn't show and aaaaa yeah, just let me know ;~;  
> Happy Halloween, dear!

_“Drop it, drop it!” Suga’s sister, Chiho, hissed, watching as Suga’s hand immediately flipped over, the large ball of light dropping to the ground. His hand was burning and was already beginning to blister from the heat. Chiho was there in an instant, wrapping his hand with some drenched gauze, Suga crying out as it pressed against his burning skin. “You were a lot closer this time! Good job!”_

_Suga couldn’t find it in himself to find it a good job when tears were rolling thickly down his cheeks and his palm was hurting so much. It was so uncomfortable and painful and magic was already something baffling, but now it was just harmful._

_But the way Chiho’s face lit up with pride, Suga slumped slightly and wiped his small nose as he tried to quell the tears that burned at his eyes._

_He and his sister were in the woods surrounding their house, both of their parents out for the day. They absolutely forbade Suga from practicing magic unlike his sister who had just begun learning. The Sugawara family was widely associated with magic, especially his mother who was honestly the true master within the household, but Chiho had a scar running down the length of her thigh due to an incident while practicing, so their parents refused to allow Suga to follow in her footsteps as he was the child of the family._

_However, Chiho didn’t agree with that and took Suga to practice whenever possible._

_With the way Suga’s heart was beating rapidly in his chest and with the searing heat against his palm, Suga was honestly leaning more with his parent’s choice to stop him. This wasn’t fun. It hurt._

_Chiho sighed when she noticed her younger brother hadn’t stopped crying. She dropped to her knees and tentatively grabbed Suga’s wrist, pressing their palms together. He flinched at the pressure, the gauze separating them from skin-to-skin contact, but Chiho continued to smile fondly._

_“I know it hurts,” she began, ruffling Suga’s hair with her free hand. He whined. “You’re only eight years old right now. But did you know, when you get older, your palm will be bigger than mine?”_

_Suga’s eyes widened at the declaration, staring at her much bigger hand against his. Chiho was well into her teenage years at this point, almost at the age of 16._

_“Really?”_

_“Yep! Do you see how your fingers don’t even reach halfway up mine? When you’re older, you’re going to be much bigger and stronger than you are now. Your hand is going to probably be bigger than mine!”_

_Suga gasped slightly, but narrowed his eyes. “You’re lying.”_

_“Nope!” Chiho sang, her nose scrunching slightly when Suga began to pout. “I’m just saying. It hurts now, and mistakes do happen, but when you’re older and bigger, you’re going to be stronger and magic won’t hurt you anymore. It might now because you’re learning, but I promise that when your hand is as big as mine, you’ll be a master of your light.”_

_Suga watched in awe as her hand slipped away from his, his fingers still stretched upward at the sky. It was such a bold statement for Chiho to make, he thought. The gauze wrapped around his palm was dripping a little bit of water down his arm, but he could feel some light buzzing in his fingertips._

_He hoped that one day he would really be able to control it better._

*****

The forest was getting darker and darker the further Suga walked on the main path. It was a terrible time of night for him to be out of the house— his mother was surely going to scold him when he returned. However, Suga couldn’t help himself. From his window, he had watched a white light flicker on and off between the towering trees outside and absolutely needed to know where it was coming from.

So Suga carried forward. 

The bright light seemed to have stopped by the time he had figured out where it was coming from, but he knew it was coming from the back of the foliage when he had seen it from his bedroom window. 

It was chilly, Suga wrapping his arms around his shoulders, his nose slightly burning with the cold air. He definitely was not prepared for this. 

Suga luckily was able to cast a simple spell for light, the small lights popping from his fingertips as it formed into a ball hovering above his palm. He would have to thank his sister later since she was the one who had taught him a few basic spells for emergencies. It flickered to life, casting light on the trees around him.

When he rounded a small shrub, he could faintly hear the sounds of splashing, water sloshing around rapidly. Immediately, Suga ran towards the source, panicking when he could see an animal repeatedly dropping in and out of the water, a coat of bright orange fur completely drenched. 

Suga was panicking. He didn’t have anything of use on him and he wasn’t able to do much other than cast basic, elementary light spells. Home was too far away for him to grab his older sister to help. He slung off his backpack and rummaged through it, disappointed with the lack of rope to help him.

The animal dunked back under, its head submerging completely. 

Suga just hoped he was as good a swimmer as he thought he was.

Taking a deep breath, Suga jumped into the river and wrapped his arm around the animal, immediately recognizing it as a large fox. The river wasn’t particularly harsh nor was its movement quick, but once Suga had hoisted himself and the fox up onto the bank, he saw that its front arm was definitely damaged with an open wound, likely the cause of it not being able to swim properly.

“That doesn’t look good,” Suga wheezed, fumbling for his bag that he had cast aside before he had jumped in. Luckily, he did have bandages on him. 

When he looked back at the animal, the animal was watching him with sharp eyes despite the fact it had been hacking up water likely trapped in its lungs. Suga was drenched head to toe, much like the fox, but it was clear that it didn’t trust him one bit. 

There was no way Suga could bring home a wild fox. His parents would have a fit and it was of course something that belonged to the wild, not at someone’s house. A couple days couldn’t hurt but it was clear that the fox didn’t want to go anywhere, its claws digging sharply into the dampened earth beneath them whenever Suga moved.

So Suga would just have to make do. 

When he moved, shuffling a little closer, the fox snarled in response. 

“Please be nice,” Suga pleaded, chuckling awkwardly. “I promise I’m not trying to hurt you.”

The fox blinked slowly, muscles still stiff as it panted, desperately trying to intake as much air as it could.

When it let Suga get closer and Suga had managed to wrap the bandage around its arm a couple times, it must have hurt because the fox snapped at him, its fangs sinking deep within Suga’s arm. He hissed, dropping the roll and doing his best not to move and scare it off completely. 

Suga apologized as if the fox would understand, and watched as blood began mixing with the water droplets already on his skin. He would have to clean that out later to ensure he wouldn’t catch an infection. 

Suga finished bandaging what he could of the arm, deciding it wasn’t broken like he had originally thought. He didn’t tie the bandage off tightly, hoping it would fall off within the next day or so. Suga knew that he would probably have to come back out to the forest with his best friend who was a hunter so they could track it down tomorrow. Suga could check on it tomorrow.

When he finished, he reached inside his bag for a small cloth, deciding to wipe the animal down so they could use it to track the fox later. Suga dragged the cloth across its red fur, trying to dry it the best he could. The fox didn’t move, just let Suga do whatever he was doing, yipping whenever Suga applied too much pressure. 

Suga’s hands were tingling. He wasn’t sure if it was the anxiety from what had just happened or if it was possibly due to the injury he had just sustained, but his fingertips felt little tiny shocks as his arms slightly shook from the small jolts. It was an odd sensation, the fox’s eyes still locked onto his, but eventually Suga let go, a little worried of another attack, and immediately it subsided. 

But his eyes fell on the posterior of the fox, noting that there was something extremely absurd about it. Its lower half of the body was covered in gunk and mud, but Suga’s eyes narrowed when he noticed that the animal had been holding its tail underneath its body. Its tail looked much thicker and bigger than usual and when Suga tried to look too close, he felt a sharp jolt. When he blinked after, his gaze focused back and suddenly the tail was just… normal.

But the fox instantly jolted upright and darted into the foliage so quickly that Suga stumbled backwards onto his butt, dirt kicking up as its claws hit the ground. 

It was such a strange encounter, one Suga knew was entirely odd and he would have no explanation for, but he forced himself to stand up and trudge all the way home.

He made sure to enter through the back and throw his wet clothes outside so his mother wouldn’t complain about him tracking in mud and water all over the house. 

Suga never did find the source of that light, but he was far too exhausted to really care. The trek back had been harder than he thought due to the extra weight of his drenched clothes. His bones were a little achy and he probably caught a cold from the river, but once he had finished cleaning and bandaging up the bite on his arm, he found himself curled up in bed, drifting off completely.

*****

“A fox?” Daichi questioned, his dark eyebrows raising in question. “Why were you even awake?”

Sawamura Daichi was the town’s new hunter. His parents were master hunters themselves so it was understandable that his best friend would follow their footsteps, Daichi becoming the family’s main hunter. They ran a small shop in the center of town that served somewhat as a butcher for everyone. 

Accompanying them today was Oikiri, Daichi’s hound dog, her ears low to the ground as Daichi continuously let her sniff at it before returning to the ground. Oikiri was new to the family business, the hound a new addition per Daichi’s request. 

“Details,” Suga huffed, waving his hand dismissively. “Regardless, I just need to make sure that its bandage came off so it doesn’t become infected.”

“That’s a lot of investment,” Daichi sighed, checking up on Oikiri before looking back at Suga. “But that sounds like something you’d do.”

The sun was harsh today, Suga already feeling a line of sweat running down his back. Daichi was of course used to the heat as he worked outside a lot of the time, but as for someone like Suga who was more of an indoor kind of worker, it was sweltering. 

Oikiri seemed to have picked up on something because her feet picked up off the ground instantly, large paws pounding against the dirt. Daichi praised his dog and began chase after her and with a large groan, Suga followed as well. They were back in the forest behind Suga’s house but it all looked so different in the daytime, Suga not remembering where he had been the night before at all. 

Eventually, Oikiri bayed, the sound reverberating off of the tree trunks and loud against Suga’s ears, his hands immediately going up to cover them as Oikiri did it twice, then three times. 

“She’s loud,” Suga called out, Daichi laughing, likely used to the sound already. 

The three of them made their way to a clearing but Suga had been behind, finally catching up to Daichi who had been standing still, palms pressed to his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Suga wrapped an arm around his shoulders and did the same.

“Where’s Oikiri?”

“I lost her,” Daichi huffed, pointing to the right of some bushes. “She took off that way. I can still hear her—”

Daichi and Suga both stumbled to the ground when a large flash of white poured through the trees, momentarily blinding them.

“What the—” Daichi hissed. He immediately began whistling, the sound shrill and high as it bounced in the air. Suga rubbed at his eyes, still sitting on the ground. When a few moments of silence passed, it was clear that Daichi was beginning to panic, his vision momentarily gone as he tried to call his dog back. “Why isn’t she—” 

Another flash of light, Daichi and Suga yelling as their eyes stung. 

Suga wasn’t sure what was going on, his vision bright behind his eyelids, various colors splashing against the darkness. He could feel Daichi stumbling to his feet and whistling again, louder and longer. 

“Shit,” Suga hissed when his body slammed into the ground, a huge force standing on top of him. He heard the slight jingle of Oikiri’s collar and knew it was her immediately. “Daichi. Can you see?”

Suga grabbed onto her, holding her desperately against his side, his vision finally swimming back into focus. It was still blurry, but he could at least make out her black spots. 

“Thank God,” Daichi gasped, getting a hold of his dog, Oikiri whining. Her back legs were slightly shaking and upon further inspection from both Daichi and Suga, the duo deemed her unhurt and just a bit rattled. 

Suga looked up where the bright flash had originated from and squinted, seeing no trace of it. “Daichi, what do you think that was?”

His friend followed his gaze. “The bright light? I don’t know. My vision is still a little blurry from it though.” All of a sudden, he paused. “Do you smell fire?”

Suga immediately rushed to his feet, Oikiri scrambling behind Daichi, still visibly shaken. 

A creature lurked behind some trees, staring the three of them down. Suga immediately recognized its reddened fur and brown eyes that were unwavering. However, when Suga stepped forward and crouched, ignoring Daichi’s protests, the fox’s fluffed out fur settled down, covering its teeth as it calmed down. The air was thick with static, something Suga remembered when he had dried the fox’s fur the night before.

Oikiri whimpered. 

“Hey,” Suga cooed, the fox’s ears moving at his voice. “Sorry, did the light scare you too? Or was it Oikiri?”

“It’s not going to understand you, Suga—”

Suga shushed Daichi regardless. “I had Oikiri here look for you so I could check on your arm. Is it okay if I take a look at it?”

The fox’s ears twitched again but it did approach Suga after a few brief moments of hesitation. Daichi whistled in disbelief as Suga finally got the wild animal close enough that he was able to unwrap the bandages that surprisingly hadn’t fallen off on their own. It was a good thing he did check up on it the next day. If the bandages had stayed on for a long period of time, it probably would’ve gotten infected too.

Once the bandages fell, Suga’s eyes widened. 

“It’s almost gone.”

Daichi cocked his head to the side, also inspecting the fox’s arm from where he stood behind them. “Yeah, I don’t see anything either.”

Suga hummed, absolutely bewildered. “The bandages are soaked with blood though…” When he ran a finger over the soft brown fur of the fox’s leg, he noticed that the wound was almost closed, white scarring taking place where most of the exposed flesh had just previously been the night before.

The fox blinked up at him with wide eyes and Suga felt his breath catch. 

He wasn’t sure what to make of it. The wound definitely was almost gone and it was safe to say he wasn’t sure how. Was it possible that he hadn’t seen the proper damage last night since it was nighttime? Maybe it wasn’t as severe as he had previously thought?

Suga couldn’t believe it.

*****

Spending the day with Daichi at his family’s shop had been more fun than Suga had expected. He got to help tend to the store with his best friend, Daichi’s family allowing him to run the shop for a few hours while they ran out and bought more supplies.

Suga was extremely proud to see his friend mature into the solid person he was today, even if it had been a couple of months in the process. 

Upon walking home, Suga was disappointed that it was already nighttime, the sun having set not too long ago. Walking home meant that he was alone at this time of night by himself. Daichi had offered for Suga to take Oikiri home with him for the night to ensure Suga’s safety walking through the village alone, but Suga had promised he would head straight home and would see Daichi over the weekend. In all honesty, Suga just hadn’t wanted to inconvenience anyone. 

Just on the outskirts of the village, Suga could feel the air around him move, noting that someone had been following him for a while. He could feel a presence behind him but Suga had just hoped that someone else was headed the same way. The Sugawara family weren’t the only ones who lived out in the forest after all.

But eventually Suga had passed the external gates, officially entering the path towards his house in the back of the forest. The path did divulge a few times, often traveling towards other households that resided out here, as well as a couple of farms, but the presence behind him didn’t waiver. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. 

Suga wasn’t trained enough in casting spells or really defending himself. He was barely 13, too young to really know anything quite yet. 

When Suga finally built up the courage to turn around and confront whoever was following him, his eyes fell upon two older men. He staggered back for a moment, surprised to see it was more than one person. His heart was thrumming against his chest and man, Suga wished he had taken Oikiri. 

“Good evening,” Suga greeted with the best possible smile he could muster. “Are you gentlemen lost?”

The two of them looked at each other then looked back at Suga. 

“You’re the kid from the Sugawara family right?” 

Suga blinked. “No, I am not. Is that where you’re headed? They live up that hill.”

He pointed at the path furthest from his house. He wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to do— what if these men were looking to lay harm on his family and he had just guided them in the direction of an innocent household? But Suga reasoned that if they did go up that path, then he would be able to sprint like hell to his own family and get someone to help.

However, the men didn’t look phased.

“Right,” one of them drawled, stepping a bit closer. “We’re pretty sure you’re the Sugawara kid. You have silver hair. Matches your sister’s?”

Suga’s heart immediately sank. It didn’t look like he was going to be that lucky at all. 

There was a faint sound of metal scraping across the ground and his blood froze when he noticed the guy on the left was holding a metal club behind his back, his eyes watching intently. 

“I think you have the wrong person—”

“No, it’s gotta be you. Look, we just need you to cough up whatever you got on you. Jewelry, charms, money, metals, whatever. Your family works with magic a lot, don’t they? So you have to have something resellable on you.”

Suga’s eyes wouldn’t leave the club. He truly didn’t have anything on him in that moment, and it was clear that he would have to fight once they confronted him for not emptying out his pockets. So what was the best course of action?

He could run. He was probably faster than them, but where would he run to? He could try to lead them through the trees and lose them, but they had longer legs. Would he really be that much faster? 

His second option was to fight back and defend himself. But how? He had no weapon. No spells. He was at a loss as to what he could possibly use to defend himself. He was a young teenager with no real muscle power.

Suga couldn’t make out what the men were saying. It was clear that they were growing frustrated with him. There was some yelling and some threatening but Suga’s eyes wouldn’t leave that weapon. 

He would have to steal it. 

The guy without the weapon moved in first, ready to grab onto Suga’s smaller frame. But he ran immediately, making sure to stay clear of their path, the other guy with the club finally moving in too, holding it above his head to aim. 

Right as it swung down, Suga moved and heard it collide with the ground, dirt flying up at the strong impact. Before he could think, before the guy could try again, Suga stepped on his wrist as hard as he could, feeling it bend underneath his boot.

The guy hollered and before Suga could bend down to pick it up, that same bright light flashed across his vision, his body falling back as he felt immense warmth spread across the air in front of him.

He couldn’t see again, immediately rubbing at his eyes in a desperate attempt to regain his vision to fight back. He wasn’t sure why the light was back at all, but he was glad it broke up the scuffle for a bit. When his vision swam back in, Suga could faintly see through the darkness. 

The two men were on their knees, much like he was, staring at the land in front of them. Suga followed their gaze, immediately gasping at the scorched path in between them. 

There was a clear divide between Suga and the other two men, the dirt burnt and a couple inches caved in on itself. Smoke was still rising off of the wounded earth, the smell of fire filling Suga’s nose. It was just like in the forest a couple of months ago when he and Daichi had gone to find that fox.

Suga hadn’t seen the fox since, although this was highly reminiscent of the last time he did, the air filled with static and buzz. 

The two men immediately scrambled to their feet and Suga mirrored their actions, ready to fight back again if needed. But they weren’t even looking at him anymore, the duo running off back towards the village, their feet carrying them faster than he had expected.

Suga let out a deep sigh, still slightly shaking from the whole ordeal. He managed to make it out safely. When he looked at the ground again, he finally noticed the metal club still sitting there at the end of the scorched line. 

When he walked over it, bending down to pick it up, Suga jumped back once the metal burned his skin, his palm stinging from its touch. It was such a bizarre event and Suga found himself staring at everything around him in a desperate attempt to soak it all in. 

He left the club on the ground, deciding not to try to take it with him again. It would’ve been useful for the next time he was out late, but it didn’t seem worth waiting for it to cool down.

On his way home, Suga bandaged up both of his palms, hissing at the tight pressure around his injury. It was faint, but he could hear bells with each step he took.

*****

The main town was bustling as usual, the marketplace full of families and customers like it was every weekend. Suga didn’t often frequent the marketplace, his mother usually being the one to make the trip into town in place of bringing the entire family, but she had asked him to today due to a swollen knee, so Suga had made the short trip out himself.

The thing about the marketplace is that Suga never enjoyed it. It was too busy and too crowded for him to even breathe while making his way through. It was dusty and loud and just so different than the small cottage he and his family lived in. However, coming into town around this time did provide one perk.

Suga smiled when he reached the Sawamura shop on the corner, his smile widening when he saw his best friend Daichi tending to the back of the shop behind a tarp. 

Suga greeted the Sawamura family before making his way to Daichi. “Good morning!”

“Suga!” Daichi sighed happily, wiping his forehead. He had been hunched over what looked to be a large stack of small game. Suga couldn’t find it in himself to look too much at the hares piled in between them. Daichi was going to be a famous hunter one day, his skills being quite useful for the Sawamura family as it was. “Why are you out here?”

Suga held up his basket of produce, fruits and vegetables all bought from the Ushijima household on the other side of the marketplace. “Mom asked me to come out for her. On my way out, I actually have to pick up some of the meat from your family too.”

“You know that I don’t have a problem just giving you some of the smaller game—”

“Anyway,” Suga interrupted with a smile, choosing to ignore Daichi completely. Daichi always did this. He always tried to hand off his hard work for free to the Sugawara family and no matter how many times Suga insisted that he pay for it— Daichi diligently sought out, tracked, and hunted each and every animal at the shop— Daichi always tried anyway.

Suga always got away with paying for it anyhow, even though the Sawamura parents were just the same as their stubborn son.

Daichi just sighed, crooking a smile in return.

The two idly chatted about Daichi’s recent hunting trip. He had managed to bring back four large hares and a massive buck. He pointed at it hanging by his father, Suga staring at it in awe. 

Daichi was definitely good at what he did.

When Suga realized he and his friend had been talking for quite a while, he looked at the hares behind Daichi.

“I’ll be bringing back two of those hares and some of the wild boar out front your dad has been trying to pawn off on everyone walking by.”

Daichi laughed at Suga’s comment, him and his parents wrapping up whichever meat Suga had picked out from the bunch and finally took the money that Suga threatened to throw at him if he just didn’t take it like he was supposed to. 

“Thank you,” Suga chimed, slightly bowing at everyone in the Sawamura tent. His hand reached out to Daichi, ready to take the last wrapped up hare. As his fingers were about to wrap around the package, Daichi immediately dropped it straight on the ground. “Daichi!” Suga hissed, the two of them swooping to pick it up.

“It wasn’t me!” Daichi exclaimed, reaching out to grab the fallen meat. Immediately, the wrapped bundle darted right, narrowly escaping his fingers. “What—”

Suga watched as his friend chased the package across the floor, the meat haphazardly swishing side to side, jumping up and down, and even sliding in between Daichi’s legs at one point. It was absolutely a sight to behold, a large and thick young Daichi who is normally so cool and coordinated, floundering around the tent, his parents looking on in awe.

Suga earnestly didn’t know if he should also be helping, and it was likely in bad taste that all he could do was laugh, tears rolling down his face as Daichi dove face first into the dirt, a cloud of it getting kicked up into the air. 

It wasn’t long before Daichi’s parents joined in the laughter, and it took everything in Suga’s power to take a breath as he leaned against one of the wooden beams. 

When the dust settled with Daichi’s body still laying on the dirt, Suga finally noticed he had the package underneath his palms, his fingers desperately gripping onto it. Suga about choked on his laughter, his body shaking as he tried to control it. 

In the midst of all the commotion, Suga could faintly make out the sound of someone else’s voice. It had originally been drowned out underneath everyone else’s own laughter, but the sound wasn’t familiar and sounded absurdly close.

Suga looked around to see if it had been a customer who just happened to see what was going on behind the fabric blocking off the scene, but Suga’s eyes fell on a figure sitting on top of the wooden crates, his grin too mischievous to be innocent at all.

Suga froze. He didn’t look quite normal. For starters, he, of course, was sitting on top of the wooden crates that belonged to the Sawamuras, but he had beautiful decorations adorning his body. He was wearing a yukata that was wrapped tightly against his frame, but the fabric seemed soft and silky, decorations of stars and lightning flowing from the bottom-up. The stranger also seemed to be wearing a mask, but it was pulled up to rest on the side of his head, his hand covering a laugh. Aqua ribbons wrapped smoothly around his legs, ending in knots on the back of his ankles. 

When the stranger noticed Suga staring at him, he cocked his head, almost as if he was gauging whether or not Suga could actually see him. When Suga’s eyes widened, the grin on the other only deepened.

He hopped down from the crates, landing right in front of Suga, the faint sound of bells jingling when his feet hit the ground. He had brown eyes that bored right into Suga. Before he could even flinch, the other slipped his mask over his face, the mask white and decorated with aqua streaks across its surface, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Eventually, a week had passed since the incident at the marketplace. Suga had desperately wanted to tell Daichi, but it had become clear that neither his friend nor the parents had even seen anything. Suga wasn’t sure what to make of it, and he had so many questions. 

But, there were no answers as to what had happened.

*****

Meeting up at the local pub was the only thing Suga had been looking forward to this week. Daichi and Asahi Azumane, the son of the local woodworker, were meeting him there and it was supposed to be the only night they could all meet up together in a while.

Upon entering the pub, Suga grinned happily at his friends as they chatted with the bartender up front, Kiyoko Shimizu. 

Daichi must have said something about Asahi, as he worked his hands nervously through long hair.

Kiyoko smiled once Suga greeted them. “Hello, Sugawara.”

Kiyoko Shimizu worked at her family’s pub right in the heart of the main village. She and Suga had become really good friends over the years, their parents introducing them to each other when they were both teenagers. It was a good friendship and Kiyoko was just as charming as she was soft. Suga thinks that Kiyoko just mainly appreciates that he, Daichi, and Asahi are some of the only men who don’t harass her at work like the others do. In turn, she gives Suga heavier alcohol and an ear whenever he needs someone to listen to him.

It was a good friendship Suga treasured. 

“Hello, Kiyoko. Are these two giving you problems?” 

She laughed lightly, Suga wrapping his arms around Daichi and Asahi, the two of them groaning at the affection.

“Kiyoko was telling us about a newcomer in town,” Asahi commented once Suga had released them and had a drink planted firmly in his hands. 

Suga quirked an eyebrow at the words. “Someone new?” He questioned. “Who?”

“I’m not sure,” Kiyoko responded, leaning forward on her elbows. She looked past the three of them, Suga quickly glancing where she was looking at. “I’ve never seen him before. He’s been coming here a lot, though.”

Suga could make out a figure in the back of the pub. The man was tall and had brown hair that swept out naturally. At their distance, it was hard to really see him, but Daichi huffed from beside him. 

“He’s been there all night. I’ve never seen him either.”

“I haven’t either,” Suga commented, narrowing his eyes to get a better look. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, the air slightly filled with static. He jumped back and looked forward when he saw the stranger begin to look his way. “No words on him?”

“No. No one really seems to know who he is,” Asahi lamented, rubbing his chin in thought. “My dad said he’s only seen him at the pub.”

Suga took another sip of his drink. “Have any of you talked to him?”

Kiyoko nodded, tossing another look at the stranger in the back before she pulled back to begin wiping some of the counter down. “I did when he came up to order. I tried asking questions but he avoided all of them. I just know his name is Oikawa.”

“Oikawa,” Suga said with a hum, feeling the way the name formed in his mouth. It wasn’t completely strange to have visitors in town but it seemed clear that this stranger’s extended stay was beginning to catch notice of everyone in town. People sometimes visited. Rarely did they stay in a small town like this. “Maybe we should go say something.”

“No way!” Asahi sighed, eyes wide. “He looks pretty intimidating. Kiyoko said he got into a fight with someone earlier and the other guy left with a big fat bruise on his cheek.”

Suga cast her a look, Kiyoko shrugging at the insinuated question. “You didn’t kick him out for fighting?”

“I did. He came back the next day and didn't cause trouble. That was last week.”

When Suga looked at the figure in the back again, he noticed that Oikawa wasn’t alone. He was talking to a girl in the back, his cup pressed against his lips as he simply observed her, watching. He didn’t seem to be conversing much, the girl he was with doing much of the talking, but when their eyes met, Suga’s skin crawled with a jolt of static, immediately turning his attention back to his friends up at the bar. 

The static felt so familiar. It made his skin tingle and his body warm up. The face seemed familiar enough but he wasn’t close enough to see where the person might be from. 

As the night went on, the four of them changing topics and listening to Asahi complain about breaking the latest piece of furniture he had been working on when he saw a spider, Suga dared to look back where Oikawa was, noticing he was already gone.

*****

“Nice, Koushi!” Chiho called, Suga huffing as he dropped onto the ground, a burst of wind flowing from his palms. “That was a good one!”

Suga closed his fingers over his palms, quelling the wind immediately. He turned his hands around, staring at the reddened skin there. His hands felt a little warm despite the burst of air, but he couldn’t help the smile that formed. 

“Thanks!” He returned, rising to his feet. Chiho looked happily at her younger brother, Suga’s grin matching hers. “That felt weird.”

“You’ll be there in no time,” she winked, patting him on the back once she approached. “We’ll work on some more air elements today if you want. You’ve been focusing too much on your light magic.”

Suga nodded, wiping the sweat off of his brow. He was tired, opposing Chiho’s amount of bursting energy, but it was a rare occasion that Chiho was able to work the whole day with him. He didn’t want to waste it. 

The pair continued, Chiho working diligently on guiding Suga in spells and how to use what beginning magic he had for defense. She had been pretty worked up once she had found out he had been attacked in the woods when he was a teenager and had been upset that their parents wouldn’t let him practice. But now that he was 18 years old, it was the perfect opportunity, Suga finally of age. 

Eventually, the sun began setting behind the hills, Suga’s chest heaving as he cancelled the swirling wind in the air. He was immensely exhausted.

“Thanks, oneechan,” he breathed, smiling weakly as he dropped to the ground. He could faintly hear her laughing over his panting. “Shut up.”

“You hung in well, don’t worry,” she teased, plopping onto the grass beside him. There was a slight breeze and the grass felt cool beneath Suga’s touch. He didn’t want to get up at all. 

“Excuse me?”

Suga immediately drew his gaze to the voice, looking at a tall figure looming over them. The figure was shrouded in a dark cloak, his face almost entirely hidden by the hood and the darkening sky. Chiho didn’t seem bothered, however, although Suga felt a surge of adrenaline rush through him at the possible threat.

“How can I help you?” Chiho questioned, brushing the dirt off of her dress as she stood up, Suga admittedly a little too tired to do the same. He hoped he wouldn’t have to fight this stranger— his energy was almost depleted entirely. “Looking for something?”

The stranger cleared his throat, grinning. “I’ve been looking for you,” the stranger said, pointed directly at Suga. “I’ve heard your family is the only one around that specializes in magic, and I wanted to request a crystal from the youngest.”

Suga blinked. It wasn’t the first time he had heard a request for his family— there were some people in the village who weren’t weary of them and did do business whenever possible, but it was concerning that this request was coming from some stranger in the dark. 

“He’s not that advanced yet,” Chiho admitted with a giggle, Suga shooting a glare at his older sister. “I’m more than happy to make you one if you’d like.”

“Thank you, but I’m specifically looking for one from him.”

Suga’s eyes met his and he couldn’t help but feel like he saw them before. Somewhere. Suga had met this person already, but where?

“I can help guide you,” Chiho offered, looking down at Suga who had now sat up and crossed his legs. “Do you want to, Koushi?”

The stranger’s eyes fell on Chiho at the drop of Suga’s first name, but returned to him promptly after. It was a small detail, but the stranger’s smile deepened at it. 

“Sure.”

Chiho instructed him on how to form whatever crystal the stranger was asking for. It was clear that he was slightly panicked, definitely weary of what this person wanted, but Chiho was cooperating in the hopes that they would be able to hand over what this guy wanted safely and make it home in one piece.

“Close your eyes and press your palms together,” she instructed, leaning down slightly as Suga processed what she said, doing exactly as told. 

He followed some more directions, counted his breathing, visualizing a crystal, allowing himself to feel some cool air rush around him. He was still so exhausted, but he could feel Chiho’s hand on his shoulder and focused. 

Suga could feel something warm spreading throughout his fingertips. It slowly began at the tips and seeped through his palms and Suga jolted a little when it passed his wrists, the warmth spreading across the skin of his forearms as well.

“Good job!”

Suga’s eyes flew open at the sound of Chiho’s praise, feeling a heavy weight drop into his palms. When he looked, he was surprised to see a medium sized crystal in his hands, the crystal hard and rigid, and honestly not that pretty, but the stranger bent down to Suga’s level and smiled. 

He pulled the hood off of his cloak and Suga’s eyes widened, his throat tightening. It was the guy from the marketplace who had vanished into thin air. He was absent of any mask this time, but brown eyes stared back at him almost smugly. His long fingers wrapped around the grey crystals, plucking it from Suga’s palms. His eyes didn’t leave Suga’s.

“Thank you,” he chimed. “I appreciate the effort. I did come with payment, of course. Although it’s not in the form of money unfortunately.”

Suga watched in awe as the man shrugged off whatever was on his back and placing it in Suga’s lap. When he looked at what was given to him, he frowned.

“It’s okay. You’re more than welcome to keep these. I don’t know how to use a bow and arrow.”

The quiver was made of black leather, making it a little heavier than usual but definitely more sturdy. A large set of arrows were held in the middle and he could hear them clatter together as he held it back up to the stranger. 

Brown eyes softened at him, the man’s smile widening. “Consider it a gift then.”

Suga was about to protest, watching intently as the other slid the hood back on, turning to walk away. But before he took another step, he tossed a look over his shoulder that was entirely directed at Suga.

“Why don’t you have your hunter friend help you?”

And he was gone. Suga blinked, hearing faint bells chiming in the distance. He gripped the quiver tightly, looking up at Chiho who was asking him a million questions about Suga knew this man and why he didn’t say anything.

Suga wasn’t sure how to respond, just tiredly followed his sister back home.

***** 

Hunting with Daichi was somewhat fun. Suga had gone with him before numerous times and he was of course always happy to see Oikiri, but it wasn’t something he truly looked forward to. It wasn’t like Daichi was some crazed animal killer, Suga knew that. It was an important part of life— the consumption of meat was important to the town of course, and the Sawamuras did need to make a living after all.

Suga just hated having to bring them back. But Daichi often needed to help because he wasn’t always able to carry it back on his own, so Suga’s assistance was usually appreciated. 

Daichi held out an arm to stop Suga in his tracks, Suga whining as he bumped into Daichi. 

“What?” He hissed.

His friend shushed him, Suga snapping his mouth shut. 

“There,” Daichi whispered, crouching low and encouraging Suga to do the same. “Do you see that? It’s a fox.”

Suga’s eyes widened as he tried to see where Daichi was pointing. Indeed, there was a red fox laying beside a log, its fur a bright contrast to the dark wood. Its eyes were already on them, heavy and steady. Daichi lightly whistled in awe.

“It’s already seen us.”

Oikiri took one look at the fox and her tail fell in between her legs. 

Daichi looked at his companion and sighed. “I think it’s that same fox from last time if Oikiri is scared of it.” 

Suga looked back at the fox. “I think it is. The one I helped right?” 

Upon further inspection, it was clear that the wound on its leg had completely healed by now, absolutely no trace of injury on it. The fox wasn’t moving, its eyes fixated on Suga. He could feel that familiar static racing across his skin. 

“Why isn’t it running away?” His friend questioned. “It knows we’re here.”

“I don’t know. Maybe it recognizes us?”

“It’s a wild fox, it should still be scared,” Daichi commented, standing up to see if that would be enough for the fox to run. It didn’t move. “It’s kind of creepy! Why isn’t it moving?”

Suga stepped out of the brush, listening to Daichi quickly try to call him back. But Suga stepped forward anyway, eventually crouching once some of the distance had been closed between them. The fox’s ears finally twitched but its eyes wouldn’t leave him.

He began calling it over, clicking his tongue and whistling, Suga hoping that the fox would approach. Thankfully, it did.

It walked over, and Suga could feel the static getting stronger and stronger, his skin tingling even as the fox came closer, brushing its head against his outstretched palm. Suga could hear Daichi coo with awe as Suga ran his hands over the fox, petting its entire body as his fingers ran across the coarse fur. 

It was much like the very first time, its fur sending tingles and shocks up his arms, causing Suga to gasp as it traveled all the way down his spine. It was almost jarring. It was stronger than he remembered and he couldn’t figure out what it was. But once the fox settled underneath his palms, the tingling began to lessen as well, the fox rubbing against him happily. 

“That’s crazy,” Daichi commented. “It’s rubbing against you like a cat would.”

Suga laughed, his voice matching the same amount of awe Daichi was expressing. When Suga’s fingers scratched alongside the back, Daichi gasped. 

“Suga, isn’t there something weird about its… It has more than one tail.”

It took a moment for him to focus, almost as if his vision was blurry. But once he did, the fox’s posterior became clearer and Suga jumped back when he noticed what Daichi had seen. It was as if a vague cloud had been wiped away.

“It has way more than one tail,” Suga noted with wide eyes, watching carefully as the fox sat down on its hind legs, eyes watching him. “H-how many does it have?”

Daichi craned his neck, trying not to move too much to see. “Seven? Eight? Way more than foxes should have anyway. Two is maybe more understandable… like something happened in birth, but that many?”

The fox made an odd chirping noise in the back of its throat, clicking over and over again. Suga froze, the feeling of static tingling the hair on his arms once again.

Daichi crouched down beside Suga and immediately, before Daichi even finished settling, the fox darted off, Suga complaining immediately. “Daichi!”

“I didn’t do anything! It just ran!”

“Well it was fine with me!”

The duo had finished their bickering, Daichi apologizing as Suga huffed, the two of them instantly looking up at the night sky. Daichi was the one to speak. “It looks like we were out here longer than I thought.”

Suga frowned, his gaze following his friend’s. “We should head back.”

Oikiri’s ears perked up once they started moving again, excited to be headed somewhere. The three of them traveled through the woods, Daichi’s eyes narrowing as dark descended faster than either of them had expected.

“Shit, Suga. You’re more familiar with these woods, right? Where are we?”

“Me?” Suga squawked. “You hunt in these more than I do! I don’t know where we are at all!” Daichi stopped immediately, Suga crashing into him once again. “Stop doing that!”

“Well I don’t know where we are,” Daichi sighed, exasperated. “It’s too dark to see anything. I don’t have my lantern on me. Do you think you can give us something to work with?”

Suga huffed again but turned his palm upward, channeling the magic through his arm and into his fingertips. Eventually, a decently sized ball of light flickered on, lightly warming up the area around them with a little bit of heat and a little bit of light. It wasn’t much, Suga couldn’t see too far around them, but it was just enough to make sure they could catch their footing properly. 

Oikiri’s tail thumped against Suga’s leg happily, Daichi patting her head to ensure she was still there. 

“That’s a little better,” Suga sighed, holding the light in front of him. “I’m still not familiar with the area, though. Do you?”

“Nope,” Daichi groaned, but trudged forward anyway. “We’ll figure it out. Let’s try this way.”

Leaves crunched beneath their feet, Suga trying his best to shine the light wherever they might need. He did stumble a few times on a handful of rocks or sudden changes in the terrain, but Daichi managed well, leading the way.

Once Suga tripped again, his knees hitting the ground, he felt exhaustion sweep through his bones, the light in his hands flickering out when he used his palms to catch himself in the dirt. They had been walking for a while and had gone out hunting hours ago. Luckily Daichi had only managed to get a few rabbits and a raccoon. Suga was just happy that they didn’t have larger game and that Daichi was carrying all of what they did have in his backpack. 

“Shouldn’t I be the one leading?” Suga questioned, tired. He pulled himself up to his feet and wiped off the dirt from his pants. “I’m the one with the light.”

Once the sphere of light flickered from his palm again, the trees around him cascading with a warm glow, Suga’s body went rigid. Daichi wasn’t there. Suga spun quickly, attempting to check everywhere around him in a desperate attempt to find his friend or the dog, but everywhere he checked, there was nothing.

Suga tried calling out Daichi’s name a handful of times, even whistling in a poor attempt of calling Oikiri to him, but he continuously came up empty-handed. Panic was beginning to bubble in his chest— he wasn’t that well versed in his magic. Whereas Daichi had his weapons for protection, as well as a dog, Suga lacked any sort of defense. 

A light blinked in the distance, another glow lighting up the small vicinity around it. Suga immediately followed it, hoping that it was either Daichi or someone else who was familiar in the forest. His feet carried on, the sound of crunching leaves beneath his feet growing quicker and quicker in time. 

“Daichi?!”

But the light moved once it flared up. Suga followed it again, calling out.

“Hello! Is someone out there?”

The light continued to dance in between the trees, moving and darting as Suga struggled to keep up. He wasn’t sure what it was, and at this point it was severely suspicious, but there was some sort of hope within him that it would bring him to safety. 

Eventually, the source of light stopped moving, Suga reaching it while leaning on a tree to catch his breath. The orb matched the one he was able to summon himself. Was there another magic user out in the woods that he didn’t know about?

The light fluttered down and Suga blinked when he saw someone catch it in their hands, the light dimming as the stranger held it with enclosed fingers but not extinguishing it. 

“Hello, Suga-chan!”

Suga blinked. “How…? Who are…?”

The man winked, grinning at Suga’s stunned expression. It was easy to see that Suga had been caught off-guard. 

But the light cascading across prominent cheekbones, brown hair, and stunning brown eyes to match made Suga jump. “Oikawa,” he breathed. “From the pub.”

Oikawa’s grin softened as he tilted his head to the side slightly, eyes never leaving his. “I’m honored that you remember me.” 

“You’re a magic user?” Suga questioned, staring at the light that twinkled in between his long fingers. “You’re new in town, right?”

Oikawa hummed thoughtfully. “In a sense, yes, to both of your questions.”

Suga’s eyes narrowed. “What does that even mean?”

Oikawa tossed the ball up high, the light settling above them as it ascended, providing a proper source of light. Suga looked up at it in awe, surprised that this was something that could be done with light magic. Chiho had never shown him that.

“What are you even doing out here?” Suga managed to ask, taking a step back. 

“I live out here,” Oikawa commented blandly. “You’re technically invading my home.”

Suga blinked rapidly. “Oh. Sorry for trespassing. My friend and I are lost and I can’t seem to find him.”

Oikawa stepped forward, seemingly avoiding whatever Suga had just said. His gait was long and beautiful. Coordinated even. Oikawa managed to cover the distance between them, and Suga paused when he heard jingling, bells ringing with each step.

Suga gasped when the sound stuck in his head. “I’ve seen you on and off for years. Since that time in the marketplace. Do you remember—”

“Sawamura and the package of meat, right?” Oikawa questioned once he was standing firmly in front of Suga.

Suga’s mouth snapped shut, completely at a loss of words. It was difficult imagining that this entire time he thought he had imagined it, that whoever he saw on top of those crates was just something his mind had conjured just for the hell of it. No one else had seen Oikawa that day, just Suga, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders once he realized that he wasn’t imagining it. Oikawa truly had been there.

_“Yes.”_

Oikawa simply hummed, grin almost venomous. “Well, we’ve actually known each other a lot longer than that. I’m sad you haven’t pieced everything together yet, Suga-chan.”

Suga’s eyes narrowed. “What? I’ve never seen you before that day.”

“You have,” he commented in return. “Hey, have you used those arrows yet?”

Suga quirked an eyebrow. “I haven’t. Why?”

Oikawa reached forward, pressing his hand against Suga’s cheek. Suga felt a jolt of electricity course through him, his limbs quivering slightly as it jumped across his skin. Oikawa’s eyes lit up subtly, a flash of light flickering against them with each pulse Suga felt on his body.

It was coming from Oikawa, there was no doubt about it. The smugness and superior expression he had been wearing softened into something akin to adoration. Suga felt himself melt under it slightly. No one had looked at him as softly and as brightly as Oikawa did, although Suga couldn’t figure out why. 

“Use them if you’re in trouble,” Oikawa commented, rubbing his cheek against the top of Suga’s hair, the height difference proving to be more noticeable than he had anticipated. “Promise me?”

Suga hummed, his hair sticking up with static when Oikawa pulled back. Suga’s entire body felt warm and light, the panic and bite in his voice lessening. “Huh? Sure.”

“Have your friend teach you, okay?”

Suga blinked. Daichi.

Oikawa pulled back fully, long fingers cascading along Suga’s jaw when he stepped back. “I’ll see you around Suga-chan.”

Suga blinked and by the time he opened his eyes, Oikawa was gone completely, Suga just as clueless and filled with questions as he was when Oikawa first appeared. 

He found himself rubbing his eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness around him. When he managed to bring his own light back from his palms, another ball of light floated across his vision, his head snapping to it. When it passed, it disappeared. 

Not a moment later, Daichi came barreling through, Oikiri leading him. She jumped on Suga, Suga barely managing to catch his balance by the time Daichi reached him, his friend sighing in relief at finding Suga. 

“Hey! What happened? I’ve been following that light around! It wasn’t yours?”

Suga’s eyes widened. “No, it wasn’t. Where were you?”

“I found the main path back there,” Daichi declared, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “But the light kept travelling. I’m glad I found you, though! Oikiri couldn’t find you even though I gave her your scent.”

Daichi handed Suga back his hair tie, the elastic band belonging to Suga. He used it to tie the hair at the nape of his neck up, sweaty from having chased Oikawa’s original light. 

It turns out that Daichi really had managed to find the main path again, Suga seeing his house atop the hill. He had offered refuge for Daichi and Oikiri for the night since it was so dark, Daichi happily accepting due to how tired the both of them were. 

Daichi asked him what happened but Suga honestly didn’t know how to explain it.

******

With his chest heaving, gasping for hair, Suga plopped back down onto the ground and he let his bones and muscles sink into the dirt, not bothering to care whether or not he was getting his clothes dirty. It was hot outside today, him and Chiho practicing midday.

Her silver hair was pulled up into a braid around her head and Suga found himself tying his own growing hair up. It wasn’t long enough for a full ponytail, but just long enough to get it off of his nape. 

Once he finished wiping off the sweat from his forehead, he felt Chiho sit next to him, her body also looking a little drained. 

“Hey, Chiho. How familiar are you with magic… like beings and creatures I mean.”

She paused to hum in acknowledgement, considering his question. “I think I’m pretty average. But I have a lot of books about them back home. Why, what’s up?”

Suga sighed, debating on whether or not he should bring up Oikawa. It had been a couple of weeks since their first, official introduction at Kiyoko’s pub, and he couldn’t get Oikawa’s words out of his head, no matter how hard he tried.

“Well, we’ve actually known each other a lot longer than that. I’m sad you haven’t pieced everything together yet, Suga-chan.”

Suga didn’t know how to approach the topic at all whatsoever. It was hard for him to picture and definitely difficult to process. The only conclusion that he was able to draw was undoubtedly that Oikawa wasn’t entirely human, although he figured that much was obvious at this point.

“One time when I was in the marketplace getting food when mom wasn’t able to, I stopped by Daichi’s shop. He sold me a package of meat and, don’t you laugh, but the meat was moving by itself!”

Chiho immediately belted out in laughter, her voice ringing out through the open air. “What are you even talking about?”

“Just listen!” Suga scolded. “Daichi chased it all over the shop. He finally managed to grab it but when I said that I saw someone sitting on top of some crates in the back, no one believed me! Daichi didn’t see anyone nor did his parents, but there was definitely someone there, laughing too.”

Chiho’s laughter seemed to have died out, her lips pulled into a thin line as she concentrated on the information given to her. “Really? What happened after?”

“Nothing,” Suga sighed, slumping. “I didn’t see that guy again until he came up to us asking for that crystal! Do you remember him?”

Chiho scrunched her nose at the memory. “I asked how you knew him!” 

“What? So I could listen to you laugh at me just like how you did now?”

“Fair enough.”

Suga rested his chin on his knee, drawing odd shapes into the dirt. “I saw him then. He gave me those arrows. Then I saw him again last night at Kiyoko’s and he actually introduced himself as Oikawa Tooru.”

Chiho sighed, tapping her chin slightly. “He didn’t say anything?”

“He just said that he was sad that I hadn’t figured it out yet and that we’ve met before. But I don’t remember him before I turned 13 at all.”

“Anything else unusual?”

“Not in particular.”

“What about before you were 13? Anything unusual happen? Weird events, maybe you say something strange?”

Immediately, it came running back to Suga in a wave, memories of Oikiri in the forest, the blinding lights, the scorched earth saving him from that attack on his way home from some local thugs, the fox he saved with a closed wound. Everything unusual and out of the ordinary popped out at him like it had always been there, like he should have said something earlier. 

It was hard to connect all of these events, but he was able to pinpoint each event in his memory surprisingly well. Relaying these events and memories to Chiho made her eyes widen with each word.

“Kitsune,” she declared with a snap of her fingers. “It’s a kitsune! Fox, electricity, fire, tricks? It couldn’t possibly be anything else.”

“Kitsune?”

“They’re fox spirits. They’re known for playing pranks and for being mischievous. These spirits can generate electricity, which often turns into fire. You seem to have been dealing with a lot of that, haven’t you?”

Suga recalled the bright flashes in the forest that scared Oikiri off and blinded both him and Daichi, as well as the time it stopped his attackers. 

“I guess,” he sighed. “Why has he been around? What do they do?”

“Question is, is it after you as a blessing or is it cursing your existence?”

“I don’t feel cursed,” Suga commented, recalling Oikawa’s actions. “He’s saved me before, gave me those arrows, and didn’t attack Daichi and me in the forest. I wouldn’t say a blessing, but I definitely don’t think he’s doing any harm to me.”

“Well that’s a good sign,” she sighed. “Kitsune will either bring you misfortune and will be a faithful companion. Why don’t you try talking to it again the next time and see what it wants?” Chiho smiled at Suga’s groan. “Well, leave it to you Koushi to find yourself a kitsune. They attach to you for life, you know that right?”

“Life? You’re kidding!”

His older sister just laughed instead of replying, tears forming in her eyes as Suga considered the possibility of Oikawa following him for the rest of his life. They hardly interacted much at all, but he didn’t know whether or not a kitsune in his life was good or bad.

He truly hoped that it wasn’t a curse.

*****

That very night, Suga met Oikawa in a dream. Oikawa was in his human form once again by the river Suga had saved the fox from, Oikawa lowering his body to sit beside it. The river was quiet this time, the water trickling softly against the edges. Oikawa didn’t seem scared by it, but it looked like he wouldn’t get much closer to it than necessary.

“Suga-chan,” he called when Suga found himself just watching on in awe. A jingling came from Oikawa when he shifted his legs, patting the ground beside him. “Come on!”

So he moved, walking across the grass towards Oikawa and sitting down at a respectable distance. When he positioned himself, he found himself surprised by the pout that Oikawa was sporting, his bottom lip pointed out, causing Suga to chuckle at it.

“What?”

Oikawa didn’t respond, dramatically draping his head over Suga’s folded knee, soft hair brushing against Suga’s arms as he flailed to catch him. Once Suga’s spine had unstiffened and Oikawa tossed and turned to make himself at home in Suga’s personal space, Suga huffed.

“What?” He repeated. “Why are you so close?”

“Well you clearly didn’t want to be too close to me, so I’ll just take it upon myself.” The way Oikawa said it seemed like it was obvious, just a mere fact, and Suga let himself laugh anyway, feeling the way Oikawa’s warmth cascaded across his thigh just from his head resting on his knee. 

They sat in silence for a few moments and Suga wondered if this was truly a dream or another product of Oikawa’s antics. Suga was warm and he was sure it was the heat radiating from the person in his lap. His skin felt static crawling up inch by inch, little jolts of electricity traveling up his spine and wrapping around the ends of his hair. 

It was such an odd feeling, but it didn’t feel dangerous. 

“What do you want?” Suga questioned after a while, Oikawa raising his head to look Suga in the eye. “My sister said you’re something called a kitsune?”

Oikawa smiled, closing his eyes, Suga’s gaze tracing each dip and line of his face. Oikawa was much prettier than he expected. Long eyelashes blinked slightly as he opened them again. “Well, I’m disappointed you weren’t the one to figure it out. But yes.”

“What is it?”

“What do you think it is?” Suga bounced his leg, Oikawa whining at it, glaring up at Suga intently. “So mean!”

Suga laughed, dropping his leg and letting Oikawa resettle over it again. 

“Honestly, I don’t know. She said you’re either here as a blessing or a curse. I still don’t really understand what a kitsune is or anything like that.”

“People don’t normally find out,” Oikawa lamented. “You typically don’t know who’s a kitsune. You just happened to meet me in fox form first.”

“You didn’t seem like you were really trying to hide yourself, Oikawa-san.”

Oikawa laughed instead, nodding slightly. “True. I did at first. But over the years just watching you from afar got really boring. Being a fox is fun and all, it allows me to follow you a lot easier, but it didn’t allow me to interact as much.”

Suga made a sound of acknowledgement in the back of his throat, watching the way Oikawa’s shoulders rose and fall with each breath he took. He seemed to be taking in deep breaths each time, Suga’s own lungs matching the pace. 

“I guess I don’t mind you interacting more,” Suga commented after some consideration. He felt the static around him thicken. “It’s kind of nice, I guess.”

“Suga-chan, I’m so flattered. I didn’t know you thought so highly of little old me—”

Suga deadpanned, looking Oikawa straight in the eye. “I take it all back. Stay in your other form for all I care.”

Oikawa gasped harshly, following it up with a pout. “How dare you be mean to me!”

“Go hang out with those girls at Kiyoko’s. You know that I see whenever you do it.”

“Are you jealous? How strange!”

Suga found himself laughing, the dream around them beginning to waiver. The area around them swirled, the scenery of the woods and the stream starting to blend together. He looked down at Oikawa again who was looking at him with amused eyes.

“See you around, Suga-chan.”

*****

“You need to pull it back like this. You’re too stiff,” Daichi instructed, guiding Suga’s hands properly. Suga had to shift his weight a little, feeling the amount of strain was required to use a bow and arrow. It gave him a newfound appreciation for Daichi picking the bow as his weapon of choice. It was no easy task.

Suga’s grip shook slightly, Daichi doing his best to steady it while Suga strained to keep the arrow pulled back.

“Aim… Fire!”

The arrow soared through the air and before Suga could blink, it sliced into the side of the tree. It wasn’t a direct center hit, but it seemed to be impressive enough that Daichi cheered for him, patting him on the back diligently. 

“Nice! You’re improving really quickly!”

Suga wiped the sweat off his brow, his shoulders already hurting from the strain. He heard the arrows shift in the quiver on his back. He had brought the arrows Oikawa had given him, although Daichi had insisted on Suga practicing with his until he got better. Daichi was scared that Suga would waste the expertly created arrows, Daichi admiring the work that went into making them. 

Daichi had also been kind enough to bring an extra bow for Suga as he didn’t own one himself. The two of them had been practicing out in the wods for a while, the exhaustion and fatigue clawing at every inch of Suga’s body. 

He hasn’t planned on learning how to use the arrows at all until he and Daichi had gotten lost last time and Suga had found himself utterly defenseless. When they had finally returned to Suga’s house, Suga begged Daichi to teach him one day so he would be able to have some type of offense whenever he needed it. 

Oikiri was absent today since they weren’t out hunting, Daichi’s father taking her for the day instead. It was just Daichi and Suga today. 

“My back hurts,” Suga whined, reaching behind him to rub at the sore muscle. “I really don’t know how you do this everyday.” Daichi chuckled, Suga glaring at how flattered he got. “Anyway…”

“There’s a baby boar over there,” Daichi finally said, pointing at the wild animal past some shrubs. “You think you can get it?”

Suga’s eyes widened. “I’m not trying to hunt anything! I just wanted to learn how to use it—”

“Okay, okay, you’re right,” Daichi interrupted apologetically, patting Suga on the back. “Sorry, sorry.” 

Suga felt his shoulders sag, the panic seeping out of his bones. He was already so tired— he really didn’t need his best friend scaring him like that. 

Suga pulled out one of the arrows in his quiver, feeling the pleated head against his thumb. The arrows were definitely heavier than Daichi’s and surprisingly much longer, almost double the length of what he had been practicing with all day. Daichi said he hadn’t seen any arrows like it before, but could tell that they were special. 

Suga tossed it up and down for a moment, feeling the true weight of it. He hoped that one day he would be able to use them.

******

Suga was already sweating, his brow furrowing slightly as he concentrated, the feeling of adrenaline pumping through his veins. He could feel it, the slight burn in his blood as he listened to his sister’s chanting, her fingertips pressed together which mirrored his. His fingertips were hot to the touch, the skin beginning to blister there.

He remembered being a child and scarring his palms from casting a simple orb of light. It was the very magic Suga had eventually mastered, using it in his daily life. Light magic was his specialty, yet it had hurt him so much as a child.

Suga snuck a look at his hands in front of him, the sound of Chiho’s words echoing around him.

“When you’re older, you’re going to be much bigger and stronger than you are now. Your hand is going to probably be bigger than mine!”

“Koushi!” Chiho snapped, Suga’s gaze snapping up to hers. “You were supposed to keep your eyes closed!”

Suga was about to laugh sheepishly, a small smile breaking over his face, but the look of panic across her face made him drop it immediately. Then he felt it. The heat that had been coursing through his vein suddenly felt far too overwhelming to be normal, his insides churning as it got hotter and hotter.

He could faintly hear clicking, Chiho rushing over to him as he dropped to the ground, his fingers digging into the grass. Searing pain spread from his fingertips and up his arms and he began shaking.

“Chiho, what?” Suga hissed, the clicking in his ears getting louder. 

“You were supposed to keep your eyes closed,” she repeated, placing her palms against Suga’s shoulders, beginning to chant something. His shoulder felt a little cooler, but whatever his sister was doing wasn’t helping the rest of his body.

It all burned so much.

Suga rolled over on his back, his hip hitting the quiver of arrows he left on the ground. It almost seemed as if it was buzzing against him, small, tiny vibrations that Suga had convinced himself that he had imagined entirely. 

“Koushi, stay awake,” she hissed, but his head was swirling. “It’s going to come out right now. I need you to stay awake. Don’t fall asleep on me.”

He couldn’t really see Chiho anymore, her long silver hair blurring alongside her face. Her hands were still working against his shoulders, doing their best at cooling off the fire in his body. 

“Coming out?” He mumbled. “What?”

In his haze, it dawned on him. They had been practicing summoning spells. It was a simple spell for Chiho, but it was Suga’s first time doing it. She had been extremely thorough explaining the precautions but Suga had gotten too wrapped up in his thoughts to concentrate. 

He broke the spell.

Something had to be coming.

“I’m trying to cool your body off,” she quickly sputtered. “We can keep it at bay if you don’t overheat. Keep calm.”

Everything about the pain moving through his bones was causing him to be anything but calm. He was barely coherent, he knew that much. He had broken out in a sweat a while ago, his body aching and twitching. It made him think about when he was a kid again, thinking about telling Chiho that magic wasn’t fun.

“When you’re older, you’re going to be much bigger and stronger than you are now. Your hand is going to probably be bigger than mine!”

It didn’t feel worth it. It still hurt. A simple spell out of his light magic was somehow too difficult for him to focus on this time and his body ached and everything was hot and this wasn’t what he had expected and—

“Koushi!”

The ground began rumbling, Suga’s fingertips that were buried in the grass feeling the shaking underneath them. His head swirled but his vision began clearing up, the heat slowly seeping out of his body. Whatever they had been trying to summon— Chiho had originally said it would be a small creature— was likely freed. 

It didn’t sound small.

There was a loud roaring, Suga’s head lulling up to look at it. It wasn’t small nor was it massive, but it was definitely a creature that Suga wasn’t experienced enough to control. It had wispy light radiating off of black scales, the creature resembling something of a large lizard. 

Chiho cursed, her hands snapping off of Suga now that his body was no longer burning. She began chanting a few things, light barriers raising up to cage it in, but the creature’s massive tail broke through it in an instant.

Suga’s energy was incredibly drained. His muscles ached and his body was still doing its best to cool off, but at least he was gaining his vision and mobility back. Chiho seemed to be in a panic, her eyes wide as she tried spell after spell, trying to figure out how to fix the situation at hand.

The arrows. Use the arrows.

Suga blinked at the voice within his head. It was quick, short, so he couldn’t make out who it was, but the words had been clear enough. Suga rolled over, rose to his knees, and pulled the arrow back in the bow.

It was a little bit of a struggle, his arms still throbbing and fairly tender, but it was enough. The arrow in his hand vibrated slightly, its weight heavy but firm. Suga could feel the little movements under his fingertips.

“Chiho, hold it still!” Suga yelled, Chiho’s gaze immediately snapping to him in realization. She turned back to the creature with a nod and managed to freeze it, its large tail stopping mid-swing. 

“There!” She screamed.

Suga pulled back a little tighter, his muscles screaming, but he let it go, the arrow soaring across the sky with a sharp whistle. It was fast and arched perfectly despite the struggle to keep it taut. Lightning met it midair, the arrow surrounded with electricity as it hit its target.

The moment the arrow pierced the scales of the lizard’s nape, bright light surrounded the area, Suga managing to close his eyes in time when he realized what light it was. Chiho screamed somewhere beside him and he could hear her stumble to the ground. The creature howled in pain, breaking free from Chiho’s hold.

Suga opened his eyes once the light passed and shot another arrow from his quiver. “Chiho! Keep your eyes closed!”

When he let it slip from his fingertips again, he was already shielding his eyes, another bright light flashing in front of him. 

The lizard dropped to the ground, disappearing in a tuft of smoke. Suga huffed as he pressed his left palm into the grass to support his weight. He was utterly exhausted. The arrows that were still in the quiver beside him were slightly vibrating, the sound of them scraping each other audible. 

Suga collapsed to the ground, although he was still conscious. He could feel how tired he was. It rattled him to the core, but at least he and Chiho were okay. 

A figure immediately rushed his side, shaking him slightly. There were bells before Suga could even see the figure’s face and he knew who it was immediately. 

“Suga-chan, are you okay?” Oikawa questioned in a panic, his eyes searching Suga’s face. “Your skin is still hot,” he whined, wiping the sweat off of Suga’s brow with a cloth. 

Suga blinked up at Oikawa slowly. “Thank you for saving us,” Suga sighed with a smile. “I finally realized that blinding light has always been you.”

Oikawa paused, a small smile spreading across his lips. It was soft and almost dainty. Oikawa didn’t say anything though, just cast a look over his shoulder, his smile turning more polite.

“Your sister is okay. She looks a little dazed from the lightning, but at least both of you are in one piece.”

Relief washed over Suga, the knowledge that his sister was okay lifting a large weight off of his shoulders. It was a scary moment, one that he caused due to his own error, so he was immensely glad Chiho had made it out okay. 

Suga sighed, feeling Oikawa’s arms wrap around him. The static in the air was thicker, likely because of all of the lightning strikes. Suga’s skin crawled with jolts of electricity as Oikawa held him closer, long fingertips moving hair off of his forehead.

*****

Kiyoko’s pub was empty tonight, much to Suga’s relief. He was still recovering from the lizard incident and definitely did not feel like pushing through seas of people. It was nice to just have his usual group around, Daichi and Asahi on either side of him with Kiyoko behind the counter like she normally was.

Suga knew Oikawa was around, Oikawa having made it a habit to fill the air with a certain electrical charge, small bouts of static against Suga’s skin. Suga wasn’t sure if it was something Oikawa realized he did, but Suga found a sense of comfort within it. 

“How has your sister been since the magic incident?” Asahi asked once the previous topic had died out. “I haven’t seen much of her around lately.”

Suga peered over his cup. “She’s been holed up in her room studying furiously ever since. Chiho’s determined to improve her magic now. Mom couldn’t even get her to come out all day last week. She’ll probably reemerge in another week or so.”

The group chuckled, Suga absentmindedly rubbing the small scars he now had on his palms and fingertips. They were thin and would likely disappear over time, but for now they were bright scars on his skin from the incident. Even the light incident as a child didn’t leave him with long-term damage, although this one did. 

Daichi patted his back reassuringly. “Well, I’m glad you two made it out just fine. Everyone was talking about it.”

Suga sighed, tilting his head back. “Yeah. People are even more weary of magic and our family. It’s to be expected but tension is higher than normal.”

“Even though you were the one to stop it?” Asahi questioned. 

“He was the one who brought it here, though,” Kiyoko informed dutifully, Suga’s head hanging in guilt. She quickly waved her hand to capture his attention. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just saying that’s how everyone is looking at it.”

Suga smiled smally. “It’s fine. It’s not something that can’t be worked through. My parents are in talk with the officials since word traveled, though. I’m sure we got them in a lot of trouble.”

“Well, all that matters is that you’re safe, right, Suga-chan?”

Suga’s eyes widened at the voice behind him. “Oikawa-san?”

“ _Oikawa-san?_ ” The group chorused, shocked to see the person they had just been gossiping about a few weeks ago. Oikawa was still talk of the town, the mysterious stranger than only a handful of girls got to meet. No one knew where he lived or why he suddenly appeared in town, but with the smug way Oikawa had his cup pressed to his pink lips was gave no room for unwanted questions. 

“Nice to see you, Suga-chan. I was wondering if I could borrow you for a bit?”

Suga turned to his friends who were all looking at him and Oikawa in shock. Kiyoko was a bit more reserved but it was clear that she was just as surprised as everyone else. 

“Yeah,” Suga said with a smile. He hopped off of the stool and looked at the group. “I’ll catch you guys later, okay?”

Everyone waved him off curiously, Oikawa wrapping a hand around Suga’s waist, waving at the trio as they walked away. It was so cocky and so petty that Suga had to stifle his laughter. 

“Your tail is showing,” Suga whispered with a mocking grin. Oikawa yelped, spinning around in a quick circle to check. Suga immediately began cackling, his hand covering his mouth as he laughed. “Just kidding.”

“Suga-chan,” Oikawa whined rewrapping his arm around his shoulders. “You’re so mean to me sometimes.”

*****

Oikawa had taken them back to the forest. It was to be expected, it is where Oikawa resided, but it was endearing when Suga recognized the stream. He had visited here in his dreams with Oikawa once or twice but hadn’t been back in person since he was young.

It was a different experience feeling everything around him in person than it was within his dreams. The stream’s water was much colder than he had anticipated and the quietness out there was almost eerie. It was pretty much the same as he remembered, and he was suddenly thankful Oikawa had brought him out to see it again.

The two of them sat down in the grass, small white flowers crushed underneath their bodies. It was refreshing to be outside in the night air, Oikawa’s presence sending small currents up his arms. They weren’t touching but were so close Suga could feel the warmth radiating off of Oikawa. 

“What did you need, Oikawa-san?” Suga questioned, leaning back on his hands. He could see Oikawa staring out at the stream in front of them, a small smile on his face. 

“I wanted to come back here with you,” Oikawa replied. “I haven’t been back since. It’s been a weird place for me.”

“I know what you mean.”

A moment of silence passed between them and Suga felt a twinge of awkwardness within his chest. He and Oikawa had shared brief moments together a handful of times recently, but this seemed to have an entirely different atmosphere. Oikawa’s playful and teasing ways put away for the night. It was odd seeing him so up close in real life like this, most of their meetings in Suga’s dreams or in brief instances like when he had carried both Chiho and Suga back home the day of the lizard attack.

One-on-one time between them was still entirely new. 

“Well,” Oikawa began. “I know that you know what I am.” 

“Kitsune.” Suga nodded. “We’ve talked about this. My sister told me. She also told me that you were sticking around because of something. That you’ve been a constant in my life because of something I did. I hope I didn’t do anything to upset you—”

“No, Suga-chan,” Oikawa laughed, interrupting Suga’s beginning of an apology. “This is why I brought you back to the stream. You obviously remember it. You saved me here from drowning. I had gotten injured when I wasn’t paying attention.”

Oikawa lifted his arm up, pulling his sleeve back. A dulled whitened scar stared angrily back at Suga, matching the spot he remembered from all of those years ago. It was indeed a large injury, even if it had healed properly. With Oikawa in his human form, it was much easier to see the damage that had been left behind from the wound. 

“I’m surprised the scar is this large,” Suga lamented, running a finger over the surface. “It healed overnight, right?”

Oikawa let Suga take his hand and run his fingertips over the damaged skin. He sighed into it. “Yeah, I heal quickly, but it doesn’t negate the permanent consequences from it.” 

Suga hummed, running his fingers up and down the scar. It was raised and Suga found himself somewhat sad about it being there against such beautiful skin. Suga realized it was the opposite arm that mirrored his own scar from Oikawa’s bite the very first time they met.

“So I saved you,” he echoed. “So you’re following me around because of it?”

“Well, it’s weird when you put it that way,” Oikawa grumbled, wrinkling his nose. Suga smiled at it, letting his hand go. Oikawa pulled it back in his lap but turned his body to face Suga head on. “But, yes. You saved me and I’ve definitely saved you twice now.”

“So why not leave after the first time?” Suga questioned, recalling the time a bright light had stopped the villagers that one night they tried following him to rob him of his possessions. “The debt should have been repaid, right?”

“It’s not a debt. Suga-chan, you saved my life. I am grateful to you.” Before Suga could retort, Oikawa held a hand up. “I don’t know if you recall this.”

Oikawa reached towards a necklace around his neck, pulling it out for Suga to see. At the end of a leather band hung a white orb, heavy and round against Oikawa’s collarbones. It took him a moment, but Suga did eventually remember.

“I found it right when I was leaving,” Suga recollected. “You were panicking.”

Oikawa nodded, smiling. “This holds my life force. I can separate from it, but not too long. If I don’t have this orb with me, I will eventually die. It’s beautiful, right? It can go for a hefty price. But you saw that this orb wasn’t yours, saw me panicking, and left it there. You saved me just because I was in need, then when you could have taken it for yourself— it’s not like you knew something like this belonged to an ordinary fox anyway— you didn’t.”

Suga’s eyes fixated on the way Oikawa was rolling the white sphere in between his index finger and thumb. It was a beautiful gem that was easy to see. It was all white and resembled something like a fresh pearl.

“It wasn’t mine to take,” Suga said after a moment, shrugging. “I’m glad that it was returned to you.”

Oikawa grinned happily, genuine and soft. “So I want to make sure that you’re protected as well.” 

“That’s what this is about,” Suga breathed, head lulling to the side momentarily. “I feel terrible. You don’t have to feel like you need to follow me around, to ensure my safety. I promise I’ll be okay—”

“I want to make sure you’re protected,” Oikawa sharply repeated, sliding the necklace back underneath his clothes. His gaze was pointed but there was no malice. “That’s what I want. You can’t take that from me, Suga-chan.”

Suga felt a warmth spread across his cheeks at the bold proclamation. It was surprising to hear the amount of conviction in his voice, but Suga smiled fondly at it. 

“Alright,” Suga spoke with a deep breath. “So our first meeting was here, at the river. Then the next day when I went to check on your wound.”

“Yes.”

“I also saw you again when the villagers attacked me, the numerous times at the pub, when you saved Chiho and me… I’ve seen you a lot over the years.”

“You have,” Oikawa laughed, winking. “I’ve always been there. Whether you knew it or not.”

Suga smiled at that, plucking a white flower out from the grass around them, twirling the step in his fingers. He handed it to Oikawa who took it with a confused look. 

“Well, I hope you continue to look over me, Oikawa-san.” Suga bowed slightly from his sitting position. “I look forward to having you around.”

Oikawa gasped, tackling Suga in a tight embrace. Suga laughed, feeling the electricity roll across his body, friendly jolts and shocks poking him everywhere. It was warm and so was Oikawa, the two of them laying in the grass, Oikawa sniffling at the statement.

“I promise! I’ll be by your side for many, many years!”

*****

*****

The loud echo of volleyballs slamming against the court made Suga’s heart race. They were playing a practice match against Seijoh, his volleyball team, Karasuno, being the visitors. He was off the court today, his normal setter position being released to the new first-year, but it didn’t bother him much. It would allow him to observe today.

The game began with both teams in good shape. The rambunctious first-years were all over the place, especially the new setter and wing spiker the team had, but it was good to watch. Seijoh was putting in a good fight as well, both teams going back to pack. 

At the end of the set, something in Suga stirred. He was sitting on the sidelines but when he heard the gym doors open, static flooded his senses, the hairs on his arms sticking up. It was familiar, oh so familiar, and just as pleasant as he remembered.

But where was he remembering this feeling from?

He turned his attention to the figure who was striding through the gym doors towards Seijoh’s coach, a white and aqua school jacket hugging his frame. A sense of nostalgia washed through him once his eyes fell upon chestnut hair and gorgeous cheekbones. The volleyball player was definitely tall and lean, an intimidating and smug aura radiating off of him.

Suga was unabashedly staring, his eyes fixated on the newcomer. Then his heart stilled when he heard the name.

“Oikawa, where have you been?” The coach grumbled, displeased.

Oikawa. Oikawa. Oikawa.

Suga knew that name. Not just the name he’s heard dropped in the volleyball community. There was a deeper meaning to it. He knew Oikawa’s name from somewhere else, something more personal.

Oikawa Tooru. 

“Sorry, coach,” Oikawa said with a falsely embarrassed smile. “I had a slight sprain but—”

Then Oikawa’s eyes fell on his and his veins felt like they were pushing fire through them. Oikawa stilled too, his eyes widening at Suga’s silver hair and small mole in the corner of his eye. It was all too familiar for the both of them.

And then finally, Oikawa’s face softened, Suga’s smile widening at the realization.

“Suga-chan,” Oikawa breathed, sending shivers down Suga’s spine. “It’s good to see you again.”

  


  
[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/144901176@N02/43804385370/in/dateposted-public/)

**Author's Note:**

> (SORRY I AM NOT AN ARTIST BUT I TRIED)  
> I'm sorry if there were some plotholes. I found myself trying to tie up too many ends and I just hoped everything got covered. ;~;


End file.
